It's been almost a year now
by ChocolateandRedBull
Summary: Then Jack came for me. He showed up at the Home late one night in the pouring rain. He told me to pack my things. I knew what was happening. An hour later, him, Budgie and I were in a black SUV, travelling down the motorway and into the night.


It's been almost a year now. Budgie seems to be settling in fine, but then again she always did, wherever we went.

I suppose most people in my situation would be over the moon. After living in the children's home for four years and my only friend being a nine-year-old Scottish girl, my hopes for a normal life were pretty low.

Then Jack came for me. He showed up at the Home late one night in the pouring rain. He told me to pack my things. I knew what was happening, I suppose I was rather excited. Rather than packing, I decided to go tell Budgie that I was leaving. Naturally, she began to cry. I was her only friend in the world. He walked in on us hugging and watched the tears flow down Budgie's cheeks. Hecalled my name and told me to stand outside.

An hour later, him, Budgie and I were in a black SUV, travelling down the motorway and into the night.

It's been almost a year now. He seems to know everything about me, while I still know nothing about him. I've asked the others, but they seem to know nothing about him either. I don't know how they're so calm about that.

I know I should be happy, but despite being here, I feel more alone than ever. I love Budgie, and I always will, but I fear I may be starting to resent her. It's not her fault, she doesn't mean it, she's only ten, she's just searching for the affection she never had.

Despite the fact that I am biologically related to him, Jack treats me like one of the team. Sometimes I feel that when I disappear and he's just going to go searching for another employee, as if I never existed.

It's been almost a year now. I still remember the day it happened. We were out on a Weevil hunt. Gwen was on holiday so they were down in numbers. Jack didn't asked if I wanted to come, he ordered me.

I didn't even see the Beast. He just appeared out of nowhere. Jack had never seen the like of it before. It got my leg, tore almost everything in the limb. When we got back to the Hub, the Beast was dead.

All I felt was pain. A searing pain all through my left leg. I don't remember much after that. When I woke up, my leg was gone.

Owen told me he had had to amputate. The Beast was infected. With what, we don't know. Not Owen, not Jack, not anyone. I think that's what was the worst part. Although Owen got me a prosthetic leg and a walking stick, it will never be the same. He said he contained the infection as he could but it will still spread.

He said I have less than a year.

It's been almost a year now. I still remember the day we met Martha. I was down in the cells with Ianto, reinforcing the strength of the locks after Janet got out the night before. I sighed when I heard Budgie's voice ring through the communication device:

"Budgie to Dani Girl. Budgie to Dani Girl. Come in Dani Girl, do you read me?"

I mumbled, screwdriver between my teeth, that we were busy. I smirked at Ianto's face going red while trying to hold the door up. I've always liked Ianto. He was nervous around kids so he didn't spend his day looking after Budgie. He rather liked taking care of me. He seemed to be okay with my condition. I never asked him why.

I still remember the night I met Ianto. It was actually kind of awkward. It was late one night and I was just heading to bed, Budgie was already fast asleep. I ran upstairs into the Hub, looking for my phone charger. After searching and coming up with nothing, I decided to go see if Jack was still in his office. I climbed the steps and quickly pushed open the door.

"Jack, have you seen my-"

I stopped. Jack was in there, but he wasn't alone. Jack was stood behind a young man in a shirt and tie, each with their trousers around their ankles, the man was bent over Jack's desk in a position that couldn't be comfortable. Jack held tightly onto the man's waist and was thrusting his hips into his ass. The semi-suited man's eyes shot open and he turned a deep shade of red.

"Jack, Jack, stop! There's a girl in here!" The man gasped. Jack opened his eyes to look at me, but quickly closed them again.

"Nothing... she hasn't... seen... before..." he grunted, in between thrusts, throwing his head back.

It was then that I had a flashback to when I was a child and I walked in on Jack in bed with another man.

I shuddered as that image ran through my mind. I quickly grabbed my charger from a shelf, and turned towards the door. Jack grunted once more before calling after me, "This is Ianto, by the way. Ianto Jones."

Budgie screamed that Martha and Mickey were here, breaking me from my train of thought. Budgie giggled and screamed "And she's brought sweeties!"

I sighed once more. I knew I had to go and meet them.

I told her that I'd be up in a minute, before finishing Janet's door. We needed to get her out of Owen's car before he finds out we locked her in there. Boy, he was mad.

Usually, the sound of her giggle would make me grin. Not so much anymore. I finished the last screw, typed in the access code and nodded to Ianto when it beeped. I turned and headed towards the main Hub, Ianto following close behind. I asked him what they were like. Ianto said they were fine, both field agents at UNIT. I hated them already.

I try to make each trip downstairs worth it. It's getting harder to climb up and down those endless stairs. Jack says that I don't have much time left. I think that's why he's gotten so withdrawn. I know he can handle a quick death but I think he's finding it hard to watch me slowly die before his eyes.

Once I reached the top of the stairs I leaned against the doorframe to catch my breath. Ianto offered me a drink, but Jack just watched on from his office. He seemed to spend a lot of time up there. Budgie was jumping around and yelling, excited by new people. Martha and Mickey just stood beside Owen, Mickey awkwardly holding a plastic shopping bag which undoubtedly contained the sweeties that Budgie mentioned earlier.

I walked over to the couch, nodding to her before I sat down. I dropped my walking stick to the ground beside my feet and looked up at them expectantly.

They didn't stay long. Something about dinner reservations. Budgie was adamant about getting enough hugs before leaving and only agreed to let them leave on the promise that they would return in the morning.

Soon after they left, I mumbled something about it being time for Budgie to go to bed, standing up with the help of Ianto. I nodded my silent thanks, grabbed Budgies hand and led her towards the stairs. Budgie screamed goodnight and bounded towards the stairs, counting each step out loud. I followed behind slowly.

It's been almost a year now. I rarely go outside anymore. I have no need. Gwen, Ianto or Tosh do the shopping, and there's no longer any need for me to go to school. I only go outside to pick up Budgie from the bus stop down the road, or to sit outside and watch her while she plays. I'm always the first to come inside.

It's been almost a year now. I'm finding it hard to keep up with Budgie. We've told her what's happening, but I don't think she fully understands that I'm going to be gone soon. I often find myself calling on Gwen or Tosh to bring her somewhere, or do something that she's asked me to do.

I'm finding it harder to get out of bed in the morning. Most days I just sit there, usually with Ianto by my side. I'm thankful for him, he's stuck by me through all of this, Jack finds it hard to come and see me.

I know it's not his fault. He blames himself. I can see why. I know that he thinks that if he hadn't called me all out on that hunt all those months ago, maybe I wouldn't be dying.

We don't know what caused it. Not me, not Owen, not Jack, not even Martha. I think that's the worst part of this whole situation.

It's been almost a year now. I've said my goodbyes. Budgie lays beside me. She's asked to stay at home from school. Until it's over. Jack's let her. She's going to miss me. She tells me that each time I gather up the energy to talk. I kiss her forehead and tell her not to. I tell her to get on with her life. To play with her friends and to not let the loss of me put a damper on her gorgeous smile.

I tell her to laugh when she can and to cheer up people who seem sad. I tell her to be nice to Ianto and Owen and Gwen and Rhys and Tosh and Martha and Mickey. I tell her to write to me. To write letters and tell me any news she would have told me if I were here. I tell her to write and to tell me about her boyfriends and all her friends and all the cute and lovely things they say to her. Tell me that she does well in school and what she wants to be when she grows up. I tell her to tell me that she's happy. That's all I really want to hear.

It's been a year now. And one heck of a journey. I'm going to miss Ianto. I'm going to miss Owen. I'm going to miss Tosh. I'm even going to miss Gwen and Rhys. I'm going to miss Budgie. But most of all, I'm especially going to miss my dad, even if he was withdrawn in the end. I keep thinking back to when I was little. I only really have one memory of him.

I remember my father's smile, in the glow of a bedside light, he'd tuck the blankets beneath my chin, to settle me for the night. And the stories that he'd tell me. They were magic now, so it seemed. They all began: "Once Upon A Time, In a land of fairy tale dreams." And when it came for the time that the hero died. He'd cuddle me, while I cried. And he'd whisper in my ear, "don't you worry, dear, heroes never die."

And the hero in my life, never slayed a dragon or left any troll dead. But he sat with me when I was sad. And each night tucked me in my bed. Then he left. I thought he was dead. But a part of me knew he wasn't. Because he always told me. Heroes Never Die.


End file.
